Legacy of a Dragonlord
by Sparkling Moon Phoenix
Summary: A/U. Within Cenred's Kingdom, the last of the Dragonlords dwells alone. When a young man and noble come seeking his assistance, Balinor will soon learn the path of his life will change. Reveal fic.
1. Chapter 1

_**Here is a new Merlin fiction for you all to read. I promise I won't delete this one, as it is part of a Christmas gift for Alaia Skyhawk. I hope you enjoy this Alaia Skyhawk! I actually had a lot of fun writing this opening chapter. Just a heads up, if you ever see a book on Amazon called 'Dragon Blessed – The Crystal of Ceridwen' with some of the same lore involving dragons and griffons, I wrote that.**_

_**Standard disclaimers apply. I don't claim ownership of the television show Merlin or any of the characters. That honour belongs to the BBC. I am just using the characters for a fan created fiction of my own devising.**_

_**Summary: Alternate Universe. Within the depths of Cenred's kingdom, Balinor dwells alone. The years of solitude have left him bitter at heart, his emotions locked behind mental barriers. His enforced exile is interrupted when a young man accompanied by a noble arrive seeking assistance. What the reluctant Dragonlord learns, will alter the path of his life and fate. Reveal fic.**_

Legacy of a Dragonlord

Act 1: A Man in a Cave part 1

~(:O:)~

Rain hissed down from the storm cloud covered sky, blanketing everything within a shroud. A miniscule stream, the rapidly flowing waters chattered musically over river stones. As the rain continued to fall in luminous swathes, the stream expanded in size and encroached upon the natural boundary, then tumbled over, swollen by the heavy torrent.

The waters flowed, pushing aside rocks, limbs wrenched from trees by ferocious winds. Even animals of the forest were unable to escape. Caught within the grip of the turbulent rivulet, large fragments of rock collected, pulled along towards the jagged entrance of a cave obscured by the wild rainfall. From out of the gloom a voice spoke, masculine in nature.

The mass of stone disintegrated, the ashy remnants dispersed by the winds and erased by the rain. Within the opening a man stood, blue eyes affixed to the sight of the violent storm. He sat down upon a mossy boulder, propped a hunter's bow and quiver of arrows against the rough cavern wall. Long black hair streaked with grey, framed a weatherworn face. The passage of years showed clearly on the tanned skin. His apparel crafted from dark leather accentuated a tall, sturdy frame.

For more than fifteen years he dwelled alone, ignored by the denizens of the nearby town. He preferred it this way. Contact with others only reminded him of what he lost, the life he once possessed. He preferred it this way. The solitude eased the pain that plagued him, but only briefly. When he rested within the depths of the murky, dank cave he now regarded as home, faces long dead intruded upon his dreams.

Pain, suffering and death caused by one man. Uther Pendragon, King of Camelot. The bane of those who followed the paths of the Old Religion. Because of this defiler, his life held no semblance of normalcy. His memories were all he had, all he could cling too. The recollections of the woman he loved were the only thing that kept him sane.

_Hunith. _The name of the woman he loved, one who he still held deep feelings for intruded upon his thoughts. A familiar pain emerged as he recalled her features. Despite the passing of time, he could still recall with perfect clarity every detail of the last time he saw her. The last time his life held any meaning for him. Since then the days of now beleaguered life blurred into one another.

He cursed and hated the name of Uther Pendragon.

_**Does anyone know where on the Internet I can find decent scripts for Merlin please? It would enable me to write this fanfiction a lot faster! Thanks in advance! Review if you enjoyed this. Since the chapter is quite long, I have split the upload into three parts. I know this one is relatively short, but I wanted to see what you all thought of it.**_


	2. Chapter 2

The Dragonlord would do so for the rest of his life. All of his kith and kin were dead, by the hand of one solitary man. Others wielded the blades that destroyed those born to the powers of the Old Religion or those who chose to follow the tenets of the Triple Goddess, were cut down. Uther gave voice to those orders. The blood of thousands stained his hands, their screams imprinted within his soul. Uther remained unaware, deaf and blind to the destruction he caused.

Only due to the intervention of one man did Balinor manage to escape. Gaius, the brother of Hunith, the woman he gladly would have called wife. The rain continued to fall, showed no sign of slackening. The usual trails he followed when he planned to hunt were now saturated with water. The hunt the Dragonlord planned to undertake this day would now be abandoned. The arrival of the turbulent wind and rain put a halt to that. The storm raged fiercely, the claps of thunder rumbling overhead sent the animals of the forest into their burrows and places of rest.

With a frown Balinor picked up his bow and retreated back into the shadowed depths of the cave. Water trickled downwards, traversed the damp stone in minute trails. An earthy scent lingered, blown in from the forest by the thunderstorm driven winds. At least within the cave he would be sheltered from the downpour. His eyes downcast to the wet stone beneath him, Balinor carefully walked into the back reaches of the cavern.

The throes of the weather outside did nothing to lighten his mood. The roiling clouds resembled his inner state, one of pain, loneliness, despair and rage.

_These emotions no longer serve any purpose for me. I don't even know if Hunith is alive. _Familiar pain surged forwards, but the Dragonlord willed it down, slamming that unwanted emotion behind mental barriers. Recollections of the past, of what he could have had served no purpose; except to remind him of the events of the Great Purge and the path his life had taken.

He approached the centre of the immense space, the daylight long since faded under the encroachment of the wild rains and winds. Only the brief flash of lighting fracturing the sky provided any presence of light. He uttered one word, his eyes shone gold. Points of mellow radiance pushed back the darkness. Candles lit of their own volition, pushed by the whispered magic. Candlelight reflected from minerals embedded within stalagmites of various sizes. Shining, slender ribbons of water moved into the darkness, until only the

A clutter of clothing, carelessly piled by a pile of furs lay near a wooden shelf attached to the rough cavern wall. The remnants of a cooking fire, a tripod erected over it. A sturdy wooden table and single chair stood near the cook fire. Clay mugs, plates and eating implements were stacked on the table. A few of them showed signs of recent use.

_I curse you Uther Pendragon. May your days be filled with nightmares. Like mine have. _That thought surfaced unbidden. Balinor regarded his surroundings. Twenty years he lived like an animal, skulking within the shadows, having contact with fellow humans when he deemed it necessary. For twenty years he lived in self imposed exile, the life of a hermit one he did not wish to live.

The choice of life thrust upon him after the Great Purge.

**_Who wants to see intelligent griffons in this fiction? Let me know if you do, as I have them planned to appear! Thanks to everyone who suggested the Merlin Wikia website! You're all fantastic! The next part of the chapter would have had Gaius make an appearance, but I'll upload that as a separate chapter since I got bitten by a plot dragon!_**


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